Chapter 351 - 134: Singing in the Radiation

Chapter 351: Chapter 134: Singing in the Radiation

At that very moment, tens of thousands of ordinary families were getting ready to take their children to the parade.

A grandstand had been erected in Alexanderplatz, red flags fluttering as a band played marching tunes.

Tens of thousands of workers and students, organized by their work units, stood in neat rows. Children wore white shirts and red scarves, holding flags aloft.

Werner stood on the outskirts of the crowd, watching the scene. A chill crept into his heart.

A light drizzle began to fall from the sky.

The mist was fine, feeling cool against their faces. People looked up at the sky, a little uneasy.

"It’s raining."

"It’s nothing, just a light shower."

"Could there be radiation?"

"Don’t be ridiculous. The government said it’s safe here."

Werner watched the raindrops, and a memory from his past life flashed through his mind.

’This rain,’ he thought. ’Every single drop contains radioactive dust.’

’And these people—tens of thousands of them, including children—are standing in it, waving flags and cheering slogans.’

’They don’t know. The government isn’t telling them.’

On the grandstand, Anger and the other leaders sat behind a glass shield, protected from the rain.

Smiles plastered on their faces, they waved to the parading masses.

The immense procession wound its way through the streets of East Berlin. The band played and people sang as if it were the most wonderful of holidays.

But Werner noticed that some people in the crowd had stiff expressions, their eyes filled with fear.

They, too, had listened to broadcasts from West Germany and knew the radiation cloud was coming. But their work units had forced them to attend the parade; not showing up would mean trouble.

A young mother stood in the procession, clutching her baby. The rain soaked her hair and the child’s clothes. She held her infant tight, tears mixing with the rain until one was indistinguishable from the other.

Watching this, Werner clenched his fists tightly.

In West Berlin, just on the other side of the wall, sandpits in the parks had been emptied, fresh food had been pulled from store shelves, and children were kept at home.

In East Berlin, people paraded, cheered, and sang in the radioactive rain.

They were two different worlds. Separated by a wall, the difference was night and day.

The parade lasted for three hours.

The rain grew heavier, but no one dared to leave the procession.

Werner turned and walked away, returning to his car.

He sat in the driver’s seat, watching the rain beat against the windshield and stream slowly down.

’This government,’ he thought grimly. ’For the sake of political face, it’s willing to sacrifice the health of its people, to let tens of thousands be exposed to radiation.’

’This is East Germany.’

**************

After the parade ended, Werner took action.

He drove a truck full of protective equipment to an ordinary residential area in East Berlin.

The area was home to working-class families. They had just returned from the parade, soaked to the bone, their children shivering.

Werner stood on the truck bed and addressed the residents who had gathered around. "Neighbors, I have a batch of iodine tablets and protective gear to give away for free. Families with children have priority."

The crowd was stunned for a moment, then erupted in gasps of surprise.

"Free?"

"Really?"

"Yes, no charge," Werner said. "Everyone got rained on at the parade today. Hurry home and give your children the iodine tablets."

The crowd immediately formed a line.

Werner and a few helpers began distributing iodine tablets and masks, family by family.

The young mother with the baby was in the line. She was drenched, and the child was crying in her arms.

"Here you are." Werner handed her two boxes of iodine tablets. "One for the child, one for you. Go home, change your clothes right away, and take them according to the dosage on the instructions."

The mother took the tablets, tears streaming down her face. "Thank you. Thank you so much. When it started raining during the parade, I begged my supervisor to let me take my child home. He said no, that we had to stay until the end. I’ve just been crying, so scared something would happen to my baby..."

"It’s not too late now," Werner said. "Hurry on home."

"You’re truly a good person," the mother said, her voice choked with sobs.

Others nearby began to speak up:

"The government makes us march but doesn’t say a thing, doesn’t give us any protection."

"The children in West Germany are all kept at home, while our children stood in the rain for three hours."

"Thank goodness for this gentleman. Otherwise, we wouldn’t know what to do."

An old man came over and grabbed Werner’s hand. "Young man, the people will remember what you’ve done. During the parade today, I saw those bigwigs on the grandstand, hiding behind glass, all clean and dry. We were down below getting soaked, and they were up there waving."

The old man’s voice trembled. "Only today have I truly seen it clearly. They’ve never thought of us as human beings."

The people around them fell silent, their eyes filled with a mixture of anger and despair.

Werner continued handing out the supplies, not saying a word.

*************

Over the next few days, Werner visited several other neighborhoods, continuing to distribute free iodine tablets.

At the same time, protective gear was quietly sold through Black Market channels at fair prices, marked up by only ten to twenty percent.

Werner deliberately kept a low profile, not making a big fuss, quietly helping those who truly needed it.

But word got out anyway.

More and more people learned that there was a Black Market merchant giving away free iodine tablets and selling protective gear at a fair price.

"That person has such a good heart."

"The government doesn’t care about us. He’s the only one looking out for us."

"I heard he’s even losing money. The iodine tablets sell for a hundred Marks in West Berlin, but he’s only selling them for ten."

"He’s not just selling them, he’s giving them away for free."

This reputation quietly spread throughout East Berlin.

************

「May 2nd, Stasi Headquarters.」

Von Brown sat behind his desk, his expression grim.

On the desk lay a report titled, "Investigation into Werner Betelich’s Hoarding and May Day Distribution of Protective Equipment."

"That bastard," Von Brown muttered under his breath.

The report detailed Werner’s actions: placed the order on April 20th, had the goods urgently shipped on the 28th, began sales on the 30th, and started the free distribution on May 1st.

’The timeline is too precise,’ he thought. ’It’s almost as if he knew in advance what was going to happen.’

Von Brown suspected that Werner had a Western intelligence source and had learned about the nuclear accident ahead of time.

The problem was, on the surface, Werner’s actions were unimpeachable. He sold protective equipment at a fair price, without exorbitant profits. He gave away iodine tablets for free, helping the public and earning an excellent reputation.

Moreover, the May Day parade had put the government in a very passive position.

The Western media was having a field day with reports like: "East German Government Forces Citizens to Parade Under Radioactive Cloud."

Photographs spread across the world showing the people of East Berlin marching in the rain while their leaders hid behind glass.

It was a major political scandal.

Under these circumstances, if the Stasi were to arrest Werner, it would only make matters worse.

Von Brown thought for a long time before finally deciding to summon Werner. At the very least, he needed to be given a warning.

"Get Werner in here," he told his assistant.

************

That afternoon, Werner walked into Stasi Headquarters.

He was perfectly calm, as if he had just stopped by for a cup of coffee.

Inside the interrogation room, Von Brown was already waiting for him. A thick file folder sat on the table.

"Sit," Von Brown said, his tone icy as he pointed to the chair opposite him.

Werner sat down and calmly lit a cigarette. "Comrade Von Brown, we meet again."

"Werner Betelich." Von Brown opened the folder and took out a document. "I have a few questions for you."

"Please, ask away."